There is no shortage of marketplaces to satisfy the appetites of the most data-hungry organisations. But for some, their efforts might be better directed at utilising the data they already have right under their noses.

Data monetisation is no longer nice-to have but an imperative for retailers and increasingly consumer-oriented companies looking to remain competitive.

As consumers, we’re well accustomed to ads from brands ‘following’ us around the Internet, and brands using information we’ve volunteered – or they have gathered – to offer us products and services we may be interested in.

An accusation of using data to discriminate a potential audience is the stuff of nightmares for marketers. However, without the right safeguards and processes in place, it’s a very, very real possibility for most out there.

Analytics is often thought of as a discipline based in numbers. But Sandra Hogan is taking a very human-centric approach to her role as group head of customer analytics at Origin Energy.

Far from it being a retail apocalypse, the proliferation of data and technology has pushed us into a retail renaissance, said Salesforce at Dreamforce this week.

Consumers are a lot less interested in change than organisations are, and it’s brands who listen, rather than talk, to customers who are best placed to find this out and act on it.

Building your organisation’s data muscle successfully is about keeping consumer data safe, not losing it and being ethical with how you apply it to deliver end-user value.

A true data professional is often described as someone who can balance technical competency with business know-how and the softer skills or being able to listen and communicate effectively. It’s a rare requirement, but one the UK-based Data School is striving to instil in its graduates, including the first cohort who were recently welcomed into Data School Australia.

Data-driven intelligence is key to the next-generation organisation, according to Sephora Asia’s head of business intelligence. But in order to get there, employees not only need to have access to data; they also need to be able to interrogate it effectively.

Driven by enormous change in the research industry, one of Australia’s leading data analytical and data science businesses, TEG Rewards, has rebranded as TEG Insights this week.

Specialist independent wholesaler, Alvin Electronics, is using the power of analytics and machine learning to assist in its customer retention efforts, a move that helps level the playing field for this small business provider.

​If there’s one attribute Martyn Etherington is counting on to realise his ambitious brand transformation plans at Teradata, it’s bravery.

Good Shepherd is using the power of data analytics to help Australian consumers alleviate themselves from poverty.

Denmark-based Danske Bank Group is using a ‘one-tribe’ approach to push its data analytics strategy in order to improve operations and enhance customer experiences.

National Australia Bank is working to deliver personalisation in the moment, rather than after the fact, in order to create great customer experiences, its general manager of consumer marketing and customer strategy says.

One of the first lessons Shane Atchison learnt joining Domo as CMO eight months ago was marketing leaders don’t talk about agencies very often.

So how can you better action customer intelligence? What are some of the key steps to consider when you’re building out your game plan?

There’s a joke in the English town of Norwich that everyone either works in a church, in a pub, or in the insurance industry. Luckily for the customers of IAG, Julie Batch’s family worked in insurance, and instilled in her a set of values she has carried through to her current role as chief customer officer.

​Citi’s global head of customer experience, Tanya Smith, has an easy way to tell whether something meets the great experience test or not: You feel better after interacting.

US-based Nike says its acquisition of data analytics firm, Zodiac, is aimed at bolstering digital capabilities and accelerating its Consumer Direct Offense strategy to serve consumers faster and more personally at scale.